#bonus points if its something super simple to make like cereal | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

andiroo42 · 4 years ago

Text

Thoughts on intermittent fasting for weight loss

For the past 3 months now I have been intermittent fasting and have lost around 15lbs (6.8kg). I’d like to share tips, confidence boosters and how to make it as easy for yourself as possible if you’d like to try it too.

About Fasting

The time between your last meal of the day and first one of the next day is considered a fast. That’s why the first meal of the day is called breakfast (btw which doesn’t have to be early in the morning). There are longer versions of fasting that may limit food for longer than 24 hours, but that’s not what I’m discussing here. Intermittent fasting (IF) is extending the length of a daily fast so that more time is spent in a state of ketosis, the body’s process of burning fat for energy. Our bodies will switch over to ketosis after glucose sugars are used up in the blood stream, so less sugar and carbs (which are converted into sugar) means more fat burning potential. IF lengths are noted in 2 numbers: X/Y. X = the length of the fast and Y equals the window you want to eat within. They add up to 24. The following, in my opinion, are the easiest methods for getting started with IF, plus bonus tips!

Fun fact: lb (pound) is an abbreviation for the Latin ‘libra pondo’, or “pound weight”, the English pound. That’s why the constellation libra is a scale.

Level 1: No eating between meals

We naturally convert extra energy into fat to store for later. It’s our body’s default mode, because it never knows when we won’t have access to food in the future. Snacking interrupts the digestion process and tells the body there is more energy coming, so store what is currently going through for later as fat. Snacking, or even eating at inconsistent times, is like trying to study for a test and getting constantly interrupted. You waste time and don’t get any work done. Fasting between meals makes sure the food current in you is adequately digested before eating the next one. Eating a nutritious meal and letting our bodies digest everything in the stomach allows it to get the nutrients we need and then switch over to ketosis. The standard 3 meals a day is around 14/10, 14 hours fasting from say 6pm to 8am with a 10 hour meal window. Generally meals should gradually get smaller as the day goes on. You might try a small 3rd meal in the evening. Fruit and nuts are fine. It’s also a good idea to stop eating 3 to 4 hours before bedtime so a full stomach trying to digest doesn’t keep you up when you’re trying to fall asleep. You especially don’t want to over eat late in the evening when your body is getting ready to sleep. And no midnight snacks! You may want to set meal times so your body knows when to expect food. It’s best to make these decisions ahead of time so that you can more easily say no to bad habits when they present themselves.

Bonus #1: Cut out sugar

Cutting out sugar found in sweets, breakfast cereals, beverages etc means your body doesn’t have to process it in the first place. Especially avoid high fructose corn syrup, a type of unnatural, super-concentrated sugar that besides being in candy and soda, is used to sweeten many non-dessert items like ketchup, yogurt, cereal bars and juices (read those ingredients!) Some folks are already eating relatively healthy, they just need to make a few adjustments. But I know for others it will be more of struggle as cravings will hit. You may even get headaches as you body adjusts. It could mean low electrolytes. I found water with a pinch of pink Himalayan salt helped. It’s quite similar to a sports drink but without any added sugars or chemicals. Speaking of beverages, cutting out sugar may mean getting rid of soft drinks. If you are drinking sugar soda, this would be the first thing I would recommend to limit and eventually cut out of your diet. How about diet soda? Nope. It’s been linked to increased appetite (sweet foods generally increase appetite), weight gain and obesity. You’ll be glad to save money by switching to water. If you really want something, I like to drink a cup of sugarless black tea before breakfast, some like black coffee. The caffeine suppresses appetite.

https://usrtk.org/sweeteners/aspartame-weight-gain/

Level 2: Two meals a day

This is my current level. 16/8 fast. 16 hours of fasting might look like 6pm to 10am. For most people this is doable as it’s just a late breakfast and removing a meal. You might do better thinking of it in terms of skipping breakfast because most cereals and breakfast items, at least in the US, are loaded with sugar and the little nutritional value they do have is fortified, that is, added back artificially. When 10am rolls around I’m good and hungry for a big meal.

Speaking of which, fasting also helps me to be aware of how much I eat. Yes I’ll eat a big meal but I’m more aware of when I’m full. I’ve surprised myself when I had to save some for later. Many have grown up with the idea that we must clear our plates, that food goes to waste otherwise. But truth is that if you overeat you’re gonna feel bad and it’s still gonna go to waste on your body as fat. Save it for later if you’re full and it won’t go to waste. Also, eating 2 meals a day has helped me to be more health conscious. I want those meals to be packed with lots of nutritious vegetables, healthy grains and high quality ingredients. I save money by not buying sweets, soft drinks and junk food.

Bonus #2: Exercise

This should be a no brainer but I mentioned it here because it does take extra time and effort, but that doesn’t have to stop you. The easiest kind for most people is walking. Many health experts recommend a goal of 10,000 steps, which takes about 2 hours, or 100 steps per minute. I usually get in 2-3k just in daily task and split the rest up into 2 walks. But if you aren’t there yet, shoot for 5,000. No? Then go for 3,000. The point is not about reaching someone else’s lofty goal, but setting one that you feel comfortable with. If it’s smaller and obtainable then you’ll get a confidence boost when you do reach it. It’s the same for weight goals. Start off with 5 or 10 lbs and go from there. You may have a vision for the weight range you’d like to be in but keep the realistic in immediate view for now. The best walks are taken outside in fresh air and sunlight. Sunlight also replenishes your vitamin D which is connected to regulating metabolism which means better fat burning!

For those who feel they are ready for it, strength training will help you lose weight faster. The more muscle you build, the more energy it requires and the more fat you’ll burn, even when resting and not exercising. Body weight exercise and calisthenics are great. I would start on the core to get a strong foundation for everything else. There are tons of resource, workout routines and tip videos on YouTube so take a look.

The paper towel roll effect

Taking one paper towel off the roll when it’s new isn’t very noticeable, but when you get down to just a few sheets, removing one becomes a larger percentage of its total. The same thing happens with weight loss. If you need to drop a bunch of weight, a small amount may not seem to make a big difference. But when you get closer to the ideal weight for your height, those smaller amounts will seem to make a bigger difference. If you don’t know the ideal weight for your height, use this tool: https://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html

This will help you figure out a range so you can set a long term vision to keep in mind. It might be a long way off so it doesn’t have to be a precise number, just a range that you would like to be within.

Level 3: One meal a day

This is for those individuals who really want to focus on losing weight and have the willingness to do so. I hope to be updating this section, but I am less experienced with this level so I recommend talking with those who have done it on https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/ Users will often post progress photos with these abbreviations: SW=starting weight, CW=current weight and GW=goal weight.

Hangry?

I’ve learned that it’s ok to be hungry, that being ready to eat is good. Western culture interprets temporary hunger as a bad feeling, that it’s wrong or abusive to feel. Some will actually interpret over fullness as hunger when their stomach is actually tired from being overworked. As long as you are having healthy, nutritious food at your meal(s) then it’s not starvation. One meal is enough to get all your nutrients and you can rely on the ketosis to give the rest of the energy you need.

Bonus #3: Go low carb and count those calories

Our bodies essentially treat carbs as sugars but they take the long way to get there. Simple carbohydrates, found in highly processed foods, are digested quickly and thus turn into fat quicker. Complex carbs are found in unprocessed whole grains, take longer to digest and provide more sustained energy. One thing to try: Take all your unhealthy, simple carbohydrate rich foods out of your cupboards and if you can’t give them away, give them a free trip to the garbage can. I’ve found that cutting out processed carbs like snacks, junky breads, pastries etc automatically cuts the majority of added sugars because sugar and carbs are usually paired together. Limiting one usually significantly limits the other.

Counting calories is a good way to make sure you are only eating the healthy food you need and avoiding junk food. 2000 calories is what most people need to last throughout the day, but you can limit it to 1500 to speed up the weight loss process. There are great apps like MyFitnessPal that are super easy to use, allow you to scan food packages, can track your weight and have tons of free workout videos. I’ve found that after about 2 weeks of counting calories and streamlining my meal choices, I got a good enough feel for things that I didn’t need to continue to count, but that’s just me.

Dinner is served

So find what works best for you and stick to it. Consistency is how to tell if something works. Eventually you may plateau as your body gets used to your routine so you will need to switch things up in order to see the same results. The things I’ve mentioned here aren’t about punishing yourself, but can be a form of self care that will last for years to come. Even if you put one of these tips into practice, you’ll be bettering yourself. Seeing the numbers on the scale drop always gives me a confidence boost. I’ve gained more time for other activities because I spend less time in the kitchen, dining room and grocery store. If you can, do it with a friend or someone you care about, it’ll keep you accountable and you’ll have someone to lean on during the difficult days. And be sure to check out https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/. It’s encouraging to see user progress reports (some are quite miraculous!), read new tips and have a community that is doing it along with you. Thanks for reading! Stay safe and healthy!

Andrew is a graphic designer currently living in Allentown PA. See his work at 42design.co

#IF #intermittent fasting #weightloss

0 notes

kennethherrerablog · 6 years ago

Text

New Parents: 11 Tips to Help You Manage Your Money After Your First Kid

So you’re a new parent. Congratulations! Being a parent will change your life in many ways — most of them for the better.

Unfortunately, it’s also super expensive. In fact, you’ll probably spend between $12,500 and $14,000 a year on child-rearing expenses, according to a government study.

Gulp! That’s right, you’ll be spending five figures on day care, groceries, clothes, toys, pediatrician visits… the list goes on and on.

Don’t be intimidated. You’ve got this! New parents like you need to rethink how to manage their financial lives after having a baby. To help you out, we’ve got some tips:

1. Get Creative with Child Care

Child care is a biggie, obviously. It tends to be one of the most expensive recurring costs parents face in the first few years.

There are ways to cut costs. Check out these options:

Enroll in a school-based child care center. Numerous high schools and colleges across the country provide on-site child care staffed by students. Check your local school district or nearby colleges to inquire about programs, availability and cost of enrollment.

Share the cost of a nanny. To make having a nanny more affordable, some families come together to share the nanny and split the cost. The nanny will likely charge more money for caring for two or more children instead of just one, but the cost will be less expensive than each family hiring separate nannies.

Bring your baby to work. Parents can save thousands of dollars by taking their babies to work with them — even if just temporarily. This is especially helpful in a baby’s first months of life, because infant care is more expensive than care for a toddler or preschooler. This may not be a common workplace benefit, but the Parenting in the Workplace Institute has recorded more than 200 workplaces that offer it, ranging from small businesses to state government agencies.

2. Save on Expenses, Such as Car Insurance

Because you’ll be spending so much on food and child care, take steps to cut your costs elsewhere — such as your car insurance.

Car insurance companies aren’t one-size-fits-all, so you need to ask: Is your car insurance company the best fit for you, your car and the way you drive?

You can find out at Compare.com. Here, you don’t have to pay or commit to anything to get a true apples-to-apples comparison from many car companies. You get a quote that’s tailor-made for your vehicle.

In about one minute, you’ll get a bunch of quotes that are zeroed in on your particular needs. When you find one you want, Compare.com lets you sign up directly with that company. Easy peasy.

3. Get the Best Deal Possible on Life Insurance

Celebrating a new life isn’t usually the time when you think about end-of-life preparations. But buying life insurance is a smart money move when you have a little one who depends on you.

It’s good to have coverage for at least six to eight times your annual salary, but, even if you’re currently a stay-at-home parent, you should have life insurance.

A company like Policygenius offers you an easy way to compare and buy life insurance. Unlike traditional providers, this online-only platform offers instant quotes from top carriers and provides an easy way to apply all online.

4. Open a Separate Savings Account

Even though you’re spending a lot on everyday expenses, you’re still going to need savings.

We suggest opening an account dedicated to saving and putting your money to work. One of our favorites is Aspiration — you’ll pay no monthly fees, and you’ll earn up to 2.00% APY on your savings.

You’ll get access to an online-only account for spending and for saving. The spending account comes with a debit card that earns 0.5% cash back on all your purchases, plus free ATMs, so you can easily access your money when you need it.

After you open your Aspiration account, use it to split your income:

Automatically deposit a portion of your income into your spending account, and use that to cover basic expenses like rent and bills, plus fun stuff, like eating out, shopping or going on vacation.

Deposit what’s left into your Aspiration savings to keep it out of sight and let it grow. You’ll earn 2.00% APY as long you deposit just $1 a month. We recommend squirreling more when you can, but we like that you won’t lose the perk when you can’t.

5. Stay on Top of Your Credit Card Payments

A lot of us are being crushed by credit card interest rates north of 20%. And when a child enters the picture? Forget it.

If you’re stuck putting more money toward interest than your principal, consolidation and refinancing might be worth a look.

A good resource is Fiona, a search engine for financial services, which can help match you with the right personal loan to meet your needs.

Fiona searches the top online lenders to match you with a personalized loan offer in less than 60 seconds. If your credit score is at least 620, its platform can help you borrow up to $100,000 (no collateral needed) with fixed rates starting at 4.99% and terms from 24 to 84 months.

6. Save Money When Buying Baby Items Online

You’re going to be buying lots of toys and baby items. Make sure you get the best price!

One of our secret weapons is called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases. It’s free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email for any receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from one of its monitored retailers, it will track the item’s price and help you get a refund when there’s a price drop.

Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get compensated.

7. Save Money on Groceries

With a little one in the house, you’re going to be spending more time and money at the grocery store. We know it sounds strange, but Ibotta will pay you cash for taking pictures of your supermarket receipts.

Here’s how it works: Before heading to the store, search for items on your shopping list within the Ibotta app. When you get home, snap a photo of your receipt and scan the items’ barcodes.

Bam. Cash back.

Ibotta is free to download. Plus, you’ll get a $10 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt.

Some cash-back opportunities we’ve seen include:

25 cents back for any item.

25 cents back on any brand of baby food

$1 back on flushable wipes

$7 back on kids probiotic chewables

$2 back on Huggies Pull-Ups

Notice a lot of those aren’t tied to a brand — just shop for the staples on your list and earn cash back!

8. Get Betty On Your Side for Dinner

Give Betty Crocker your email address, and it’ll send you up to $250 worth of coupons that can help you get deeply discounted or free canned goods, cereal and yogurt.

In addition to coupons, Betty Crocker’s free email delivers the best of Betty’s 15,000 kitchen-tested recipes, how-tos and more — straight to your inbox.

If you’re like us, you probably get bored making the same food week after week, so wouldn’t it be nice to occasionally be surprised with simple recipes you can make on a budget?

9. Order Your Groceries Online (No Messing with Car Seats)

No one warns you about this, but it’s true: Grocery shopping is HARD when you have a baby or toddler.

Here’s a handy parenting hack: Use Walmart’s grocery app to order your groceries online, then have the store bring your groceries out to your car for free.

This is the most convenient thing in the world when you don’t want to take baby out of the car, drag baby around the store, and then put baby back in the car while baby screams the whole time. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything.

Ordering your groceries online can actually save you a ton of time and money because you’ll be forced to plan out your meals.

Plus, there’s no veering off into the snack aisle.

10. Save By Doing Nothing

When there’s a kid in the picture, the best kind of savings are the kind where you don’t have to do a thing. That’s what makes the Drop app so appealing.

What’s special about Drop is all you have to do is link your credit and debit cards (no coupon clipping or hoarding receipts!). When you make a Drop-qualified purchase, you’ll automatically earn points, whether you’re grocery shopping at Walmart, hailing an Uber or ordering a pizza.

The points will add up, and you can exchange them for gift cards in the app to popular retailers like Amazon and Starbucks.

11. Manage Your Money as a Couple

Saving money is hard. Throw another person into the mix — with very different views of how money should be saved, spent and managed — and it can feel impossible.

That’s why Twine was created.

The app specializes in helping couples save, invest and reach their individual and joint financial goals. It provides financial advice and automated money management, and it makes collaborating on short- and long-term savings goals simple. Saving for a second car? Twine can help. Your dream home? It can help you map those savings out, too.

Bonus: Twine is offering Penny Hoarder readers $5 to open a joint savings account — one with a (pretty sizeable) 1.05% variable interest rate. From there, you can set goals and guideposts, and keep an eye on your contributions and your partner’s.

If you prefer to handle your finances on your own terms, Twine offers individual accounts, too.

Twine can also assess your financial situation and help you start investing. Once you’ve socked away at least $100, you can start with a low-risk starter option (you’ll pay 25 cents per month for every $500 you invest).

Whether you’re saving as a team or investing in your own ideal life, Twine can help you start with what you have and work toward those big goals — and bigger dreams.

Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He and his wife have twin daughters.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

New Parents: 11 Tips to Help You Manage Your Money After Your First Kid published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

0 notes

fashiontrendin-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Does Anyone Actually Eat Cereal for Breakfast Anymore?

https://fashion-trendin.com/does-anyone-actually-eat-cereal-for-breakfast-anymore/

Does Anyone Actually Eat Cereal for Breakfast Anymore?

was visiting my parents on a recent weekend when I witnessed the following tableau at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning: my dad, clad in a blue cotton pajama set and robe, sitting in the kitchen with a newspaper spread out before him, pouring 2% milk into a bowl of Grape Nuts cereal and eating it at a notably leisurely pace. I must have watched my father perform this ritual thousands of time over the course of my childhood, but I suppose I never registered the fact that he was still doing it. I observed with rapt attention, like an anthropologist observing some bizarre human behavior.

After a few minutes, I couldn’t help myself: “Dad, you still eat milk and cereal for breakfast?”

“Yes?” he replied, his tone more question than answer, as if curious why I even found it necessary to ask.

Thus began a mental spiral that ended with a pressing — nay, burning, investigative query: Is the combination of milk and cereal, eaten out of a bowl and consumed with a spoon, still a breakfast staple in 2018? It hasn’t been one for me in at least eight years, though I did ingest milk and cereal daily in this precise manner from the moment I had enough teeth to chew a Cheerio to at least the end of my senior year of high school. My cereal phases over the course of this seminal period were arguably more powerful than my stylistic ones, evolving from Rice Krispies to Raisin Bran to Smart Start to Honey Bunches of Oats to Cracklin’ Oat Bran with no shortage of ceremony. Sometimes I garnished my morning bowl with banana slices, but more often than not it was an purist endeavor: plain cereal swimming in milk of the cow variety (skim, 1% or 2% — whatever was in the fridge). I ate it in the company of my family before we set off for school, or work, or whatever agenda the day happened to hold, all five of us huddled over the kitchen table, washing down each bite with a sip of Tropicana orange juice. I ate it without thinking, because it was placed on the table in front of me and it tasted good.

Then, I stopped. It was somewhat gradual in the sense that I replaced the milk in my cereal bowl with Greek yogurt circa 2010, but when I ultimately eliminated the cereal as well, the transition picked up considerable speed. I became a flake in the brewing avalanche that was Wellness with a capital W, and baby, I was snowballing. All of a sudden I was eating oatmeal decorated in the manner of a professional mosaic and assembling open-faced toasts worthy of the Museum of Modern Art. The only thing close to milk I continued to consume regularly was the soy variety I added to my coffee in the morning, and cereal? I pretty much forgot it existed.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one: “[Breakfast] cereal, both as a cultural marker and a profit center, is at a crossroads,” The New York Times proclaimed in 2016. “Since the late 1990s, its popularity has been slowly fading.”

“Overall cereal sales in the U.S. have declined 11% over the past five years to around $9 billion in 2017, according to Mintel, a consumer research firm,” The Wall Street Journal reported this past spring. “Post CEO Robert Vitale said cereal has lost a tenth of its shelf space as a result.”

In a Twitter poll conducted a year ago by CNN Money Digital Correspondent Paul La Monica inquiring how often his followers ate cereal, the majority of responders answered “Never!”

More woes for General Mills. Cereal sales down. So is $GIS stock. Will include this poll in story later today. How often do you eat cereal?

— Paul R. La Monica (@LaMonicaBuzz) March 21, 2017

I posed a slightly more specific question to my Instagram followers last week, asking how many people actually consume cereal and milk for breakfast these days. Responses poured in by the hundreds, many of them from staunch defenders of this mealtime ritual I’ve associated with a bygone era.

“If eating cereal as an adult is wrong, I don’t want to be right,” one person messaged me. “If anything, cereal should be the norm! A lot of us are adults who work full time jobs and are not afforded the luxury of having the time to prepare a full breakfast for ourselves every morning. Cereal is cheap(ish), easy and there is a ton of variety.”

“Absolutely,” another said. “There is nothing more decadent than a simple bowl of cereal (bonus if you go for a ‘children’s’ cereal, a.k.a. joy in a bowl.)”

In addition to ease and cost, nostalgia was the primary reason responders cited as the driver behind their cereal consumption: “I had a long chat with some folks about this the other day,” one person told me. “We all agreed that we only eat cereal when we’re feeling super nostalgic! And, depending on my mood, I either go for the super sweet sugar bombs (that I was only allowed to eat at grandma’s house) or the boring cereals (Raisin bran) that remind me of what the adults were eating.”

“Cereal feels dependable and reliable, not to mention very comforting and nostalgic,” another wrote. “There’s nothing nostalgic about a protein shake or a poached egg!”

“It totally hits the spot when I wake up feeling off or need food that feels like a hug from mom,” said another.

Others acknowledged that even though they maintain their cereal-eating habits, they do so in the midst of a changing breakfast landscape. “Breakfast is the hardest meal to choose,” one person confessed. “There are so many health injunctions related to breakfast. You ‘have’ to eat protein (but be careful with dairy!), good fat, no sugar, not too many carbs… it’s so hard and makes me more anxious than any other meal. I compromise by adding fresh fruits and nuts to my milk and cereal.”

“It’s definitely not trendy, and it seems old-school compared to something like avocado toast or chia seed pudding or whatever else people are eating for breakfast these days,” said another.

“The vibe I get at work is that the only acceptable grown-up breakfast food is yogurt,” chimed in a third.

Upon further research, I learned that cereal companies are not only wizening up to the powerful selling point of their products’ inherent nostalgia factor, but also pivoting their marketing strategy based on the reality that they can no longer compete with so-called “trendy” breakfast foods like green smoothies and chia seed puddings.

“The cereal makers realized that coming out with some of the really healthy cereals in recent years like Cheerios with added protein or Frosted Flakes with high fiber just weren’t getting people to eat more cereal,” Wall Street Journal reporter Annie Gasparao told CBS News. “The people who are eating cereal are eating it because it’s fun and it tastes good and it looks fun with fun colors. They aren’t eating it to be healthy.”

In other words, after trying and failing to hop on the Wellness train, cereal companies are now leaning in the opposite direction: more sugar, more artificial and more kid-like. According to CBS News, Post stopped selling the high-protein version of Honey Bunches of Oats and revived Oreo Os, which they had previously discontinued in 2007. (I purchased a miniature box of at my local bodega to confirm they do, in fact, taste like actual Oreo cookies). Similarly, Kellogg’s pulled its lower-sugar iteration of Frosted Flakes from stores and dispatched chocolate and cinnamon flavors instead, which boast a sugar content of 10 grams per (measly) 1/2-cup serving. And finally, my favorite: General Mills faced so much outrage for eliminating fake flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial dyes in Trix cereal (one incensed customer called it “basically a salad now”) that they actually decided to bring back the older, more colorful, corn-syrup-filled version.

“These companies know that the nostalgic brands, the fun flavors, the cartoon mascots that’s what’s selling cereal and that’s what’s going to make them be able to stabilize this category that’s lost shelf space to Greek yogurt and protein bars and things that people view as healthier for breakfast,” Gasparao told CBS.

A side effect of this shift in focus is the somewhat startling but nonetheless true revelation that cereal isn’t so much a breakfast staple anymore as it is a novelty food. In a culture ruled by social media, no edible thing can succeed unless it is “doing the most,” and if cereal couldn’t do the most when it came to health and wellness, then it would have to do the most in other ways — as a snack (perfect for grabbing a 1/2-cup handful), as an indulgent dinner option (I can’t be the only one who begged to eat breakfast for dinner as a kid), as an experience (ever been to Kellogg’s NYC café or Milk & Cream Cereal Bar?) or as 2018’s unique blend of viral-friendly nostalgia (colors and iconography that reference the past paired with the kind of fantastical branding that sounds good in a tweet or looks like-worthy in a photo).

Haley’s boyfriend Avi (to whom I reached out for comment due to his rumored expertise on the topic of cereal) kindly sent me a bulleted list of the 11 different types of Cheerios he took note of during a recent trip to the grocery store: Original, Honey Nut, Apple Cinnamon, Multi Grain, Chocolate, Frosted, Fruity, Very Berry, Honey Nut Medley Crunch, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Protein. “There is also now a Pumpkin Spice Frosted Flakes,” he added. “There are more than six types of Raisin Bran. Have we advanced as a society because of this? Is this the best use of our time and resources?”

The answers to these questions are debatable, but Big Cereal’s marketing efforts seem to have reached at least one prominent member of Generation Z (13 hours before this story went live, I might add):

last night i had cereal with milk for the first time. life changing.

— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) September 19, 2018

Life-changing indeed. Last week, I myself stood on a chair, pulled my roommate’s stale box of Cinnamon Puffins from the back of our kitchen cabinet and poured it into a bowl with milk. I ate it alone, legs curled criss-cross-apple-sauce underneath me on the sofa, washing down each bite with a sip of chamomile tea. I ate it at 8:21 p.m., but don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll work my way up to breakfast eventually, and I’m sure Kylie will too.

Photo by Louisiana Mei Gelpi.

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

0 notes

mesonishashank · 7 years ago

Text

From Star Wars To Super Mario: 22 Crazy Cereals Based on Movies, TV, And Video Games

The most utterly ridiculous cereals ever based on movies, TV shows, video games, and more

The 1980s and 1990s were a great time to be a kid if you loved cereal. Every trip to the grocery store would find a new offering on the breakfast cereal aisle, taking a movie, TV show, video game, or celebrity and turning it into a sugary morning treat.

While themed cereal can still be found in stores--we're looking at you, Fruity Pebbles--the glory days that saw practically every title getting its own special blend of marshmallows, corn, rice, and oats have come to an end. Ralston, the company behind many of the best-remembered offerings, no longer dabbles in licensed foods. In fact, based on their website, the company now specializes in cereal that looks similar to name brands like Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs, while being different enough to be marketed as a different product.How the might have fallen. Then again, in its heyday, Ralston was actually known as Ralston Purina and dedicated a sizable chunk of its business into making pet food, so perhaps its better off now.

How important is taste and originality in these cereals anyway? After all, one of the biggest reasons anyone bought these was due to the characters emblazoned on the boxes and the prizes that were included with the cereal. Who cares what Batman cereal tastes like when it comes with a bank in the shape of the Caped Crusader? Thankfully, there were still some colorful and tasty cereals to be found back then, right Spider-Man?

Take a trip back in time with GameSpot as we revisit 22 of those cereals--both good and bad. How many of these do you remember sitting down with at breakfast?

Image: Sony Entertainment

1. Urkel-Os

There was a time when nothing in pop culture was hotter than Steve Urkel, the nerdy character on Family Matters. In an age where the TGIF programming block ruled the world, Urkel was its king. This cereal that was first released in 1991--and remained in production until 2000--is proof of that.

Image: Ralston

2. Nintendo Cereal System

When it came to video games, nothing was hotter in the late '80s than the Nintendo Entertainment System. It permeated pop culture in such a way that it spawned merchandise, cartoons, and even the movie The Wizard. Naturally, like many popular properties, it also got a cereal--two if you want to get technical. In each box were two bags, one a Super Mario Bros. cereal and one for The Legend of Zelda. What a time to be alive.

Image: Ralston

3. Bill and Ted's Excellent Cereal

Excellent! A Bill & Ted cereal not only existed, but it wasn't based on the movies. Instead, this cereal followed the cartoon and featured the animated versions of Bill and Ted emblazoned on the box. The real joy of this breakfast wasn't the marshmallows, though. Instead, it was the prize that came with the cereal--a cassette tape holder shaped like Bill and Ted's phone booth time machine.

Image: Ralston

4. Smurfberry Crunch

For many, Smurfberry Crunch is the gold standard for sugary cereals based on TV shows and movies. The fruity corn and wheat cereal first debuted in 1981 and lasted for years before an addition to the Smurf's cereal line--Magic Berries--that added marshmallows to the mix in 1987.

Image: Post Cereals

5. The Addams Family

Addams Family cereal sounds like a great idea, in theory. However, its pieces were made to resemble skulls, dismembered hands, and headless dolls--all things very familiar to this particular family. Serving a bowl of that to a kid could be pretty traumatic, though. However, there was a period of the time where the "toy" it included was a flashlight made to resemble a character from the movie. That's pretty exciting for a kid.

Image: Ralston

6. Donkey Kong

Mario and Zelda had to share a cereal. Before that, though, Donkey Kong got a box all to himself. According to the box, it was "crunchy barrels of fun." While that doesn't exactly found appetizing, what's not to love about a video game-themed cereal with a taste similar to Captain Crunch?

Image: Ralston

7. E.T. Cereal

While the E.T. Atari game may have been a colossal bomb, the cereal was not the same case. Taking a note from E.T.'s love of Reese's Pieces in the movie, the cereal was flavored like peanut butter and chocolate. Among the bonus prizes included in the box were trading cards, as well as a picture of Michael Jackson and E.T.--because why not?

Image: General Mills

8. The Real Ghostbusters

This is another cereal based on a cartoon that's based on a movie. This particular cereal was released three times under three different names and was incredibly simple, in terms of design. Marshmallow ghosts mixed with fruity Os, to create the Ghostbusters logo in your cereal bowl. The best part of this cereal, though, was the prizes that came in the box--from glow-in-the-dark door hangers to buttons to frisbees.

Image: Ralston

9. Batman

Like many Ralston cereals, Batman essentially consisted of themed corn pieces--bats in this instance--and a standard sweet flavor. The prizes were where Batman was able to shine. Honestly, the only reason to get this cereal was for the Batman bank that came attached to the front. Who's going to keep your change safer than the Dark Knight?

Image: Ralston

10. Gremlins

This sweetened cereal may not be all that exciting--its pieces are meant to look like Gizmo but they don't--but it's hard to resist something as adorable as the mogwai on its box. Inside the box with the cereal was a sticker, which is a decent bonus. However, the big prize was something you had to actually mail away for--a plush Gizmo.

Image: Ralston

11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

It's essentially Rice Chex ("ninja nets") with marshmallows. The marshmallows in question are shaped like ninja weapons and pizzas, everything needed for a radically tasty breakfast. None of that matters, though, without what is perhaps the most beloved prize of all time-- a Ninja Turtle-shaped cereal bowl. You could eat your Ninja Turtles cereal out of a Ninja Turtles bowl.

Image: Ralston

12. Fruity Pebbles/Cocoa Pebbles

Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles are undeniably the most successful licensed cereal of all time. They were first released in 1971 and can still be found in stores today, almost 50 years later. Clearly, Post stumbled onto something good when it came to The Flintstones.

Image: Post Cereals

13. Spider-Man

The Spider-Man cereal from 1995 is very similar to Ralston's Ninja Turtles offering. This time, though, the "ninja nets" were spiderwebs and the marshmallows were supposed to be pumpkin bombs, "spider symbols," Peter Parker's camera, and Kingpin. In reality, they were essentially blobs of various colors.

Image: Ralston

14. GI Joe Action Stars

This cereal arrived in stores in 1985--the same year the cartoon premiered. It wasn't colorful or flashy, but it was part of a complete breakfast to help create a real American hero… probably. What's most important is the mini-comic books that came packaged in the box. Cereal and comics, what more do you need?

Image: Ralston

15. C-3PO's

And you thought the Star Wars Christmas Special was the most shameless cash-in on this franchise. These were essentially Honey Nut Cheerios in a figure-eight shape. As for prizes, they varied from trading cards to a Rebel Rocket toy.

Image: Kellogg's

16. Mr. T

We pity the fool that never got to try Mr. T's cereal. Why did Mr. T have a cereal, you ask? Between his appearance in Rocky III and his role on The A-Team, Mr. T was a pop culture sensation in the early 1980s and that got him his own breakfast. If only they'd come up with a better idea than pieces shaped like T and literally nothing else, though.

Image: Quaker

17. Pac-Man

Following the success of Donkey Kong's cereal, it was Pac-Man's turn. This cereal features Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and ghost marshmallows, along with sweet balls of corn. Among the prizes offered inside was bubblegum. There was also the possibility of winning a full-size Pac-Man arcade game.

Image: General Mills

18. Donkey Kong Jr.

Donkey Kong cereal was a little too basic--thankfully, Donkey Kong Jr. righted the wrongs of his father. Out are the crunchy barrels. Instead, this cereal is made up of pieces shaped and flavored like bananas and berries, putting a fruity twist on breakfast.

Image: Ralston

19. Rainbow Brite

Of course, the Rainbow Brite cereal--based on the cartoon and movie--is rainbow-colored and shaped. It's essentially Fruit Loops, but with half-circles instead of full loops. The only notable prize, really, was a colorful chain necklace you could mail away for. What's the point of buying cereal without a toy in it?

Image: Ralston

20. Morning Funnies

With so many cereals based on well-known cartoons and movies, opting to create one based on newspaper comic strips might not seem like a cutting-edge idea. What's even more bizarre is the cereal itself had nothing to do with the various comic strips it licensed. It was simply made up of smiling faces in a variety of colors.

Image: Ralston

21. Booty O's

Where do you start with Booty O's? What started as an on-screen joke made by the trio known as New Day became an actual breakfast cereal you could buy in stores and a never-ending string of merchandise. The oat-based breakfast comes packed with marshmallows that look like trombones and booties, to name a few shapes. If only Ralston was still a cereal giant that could mass produce it.

Image: WWE

22. Pro Stars

Not every cereal can be based on a fictional character, right? That's where Pro Stars, which puts the spotlight on sports celebrities, comes in. We know what you're thinking: That's what Wheaties are for, right? Thankfully, Pro Stars added funny to the mix and included a contest to win breakfast with Wayne Gretzky. Top that, Wheaties.

Image: General Mills

from GameSpot https://ift.tt/2k11udR from Blogger https://ift.tt/2IRgRU2

#TUMBLER #Blogger

0 notes

gardencityvegans · 7 years ago

Text

Things I’m Loving Lately: March 12, 2018

http://ohsheglows.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Things-Im-Loving-Lately_-March-2018_CROP-1.png

What’s this, I’m posting on a Monday?! ;) This post was ready to go last week, but since we had so much fun content already going out (Glow Getter, Ask Angela, and the next issue of In The Glow!), I decided to hold off until Monday for this one. Thanks for all the positive feedback about the reboot of Things I’m Loving Lately, by the way. It’s such a fun way for me to share the things I use and love in my everyday life, and I enjoy hearing about the new things you’re diggin’ too. So feel free to spill the beets, errr…deets, below!

As always, these posts are never sponsored, but I’ll occasionally have an affiliate link or two included in the roundup.

1. Hilary’s Broccoli Casserole Bites

I discovered these frozen casserole bites when I was looking for super-fast dinner options for the kids. We definitely don’t have a made-from-scratch meal on the table every night, so I was delighted to find these mini veggie burger patties packed with awesome organic ingredients: cooked whole grain millet, broccoli, cooked white beans, expeller-pressed coconut oil, carrot, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, psyllium husk powder, salt, arrowroot, basil, and oregano. The kids love them dipped in ketchup, and I try to always have a bag in the freezer for those emergency don’t-know-what-to-cook situations! If you’re in a similar pinch, I recommend throwing some on a baking sheet with sweet potatoes fries and serving with a side of sliced avocado for an effortless weeknight dinner option.

2. Instacart Canada

Let me preface this by saying that I’m someone who loves grocery shopping. It’s something I tend to look forward to, especially on those rare, heavenly occasions when I’m able to go shopping by myself. But sometimes I can’t leave the house to get groceries (like during nap time), and find myself stuck needing ingredients to test a recipe. That’s why I was so excited to hear that Instacart, an app-based grocery delivery service, is now available in my area. I simply add food to my virtual “cart” through the app and then my order magically arrives on our doorstep within an hour or two. I also love that I can text my “shopper” and make adjustments as they shop away. I only use Instacart when I’m in a pinch, but so far it’s been a huge help when I can’t leave the house to get groceries. More ingredients = more recipes! Can you say win-win?

3. Hardbite Drop’N Mad Beets chips

At first I wasn’t sure about these earthy-tasting beet chips (I initially described them as tasting like ketchup chips with a hint of dirt, lol), but then I found myself polishing off the bag and realized I’d fallen in love. Now they’re pretty much the only chips I buy when I want to splurge on something deep fried (which is often…#YOLO). I did say I didn’t see my beet chip phase ending anytime soon…

4. HURRAW! Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm

I’ve been using HURRAW! lip balm for years, but this cherry flavour is new to me and it’s my favourite yet. The red hue leaves a subtle hint of colour, and when I don’t want to go all out with a bold lip colour this is my “no make-up” go-to. Best of all this moisturizing balm is vegan, organic, and made using cold-pressed oils.

5. Love Grown Original Power O’s

We’ve been buying Power O’s for a few years now, and it’s the only cereal we give the kids to munch on. Get this…these fun little O’s are made from BEANS! I buy the original unsweetened flavour, which I love for its short and simple ingredient list: navy beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, brown rice, salt, and tocopherols. My kids enjoy the cereal dry or with milk and sliced banana. I don’t know what Arlo loves more: snacking on this cereal or tossing it onto the floor, leaving crunchy little landmines scattered about for us to crush into smithereens. (Dang it, Arlo, with the food throwing!) *gets the vacuum out yet again…*

6. Sunshine Farms Organic Pickled Jalapeños (Foodland Ontario)

Pickled jalapeños are a fairly new-to-me food product. I originally picked these up a few years ago when I was developing my Chili Cheese Nachos recipe for Oh She Glows Every Day. They were great for the nacho recipe, and I quickly discovered they were just as good sprinkled on wraps, salads, and savoury oatmeal for a kick of heat. I love that the jar has a long shelf life, so I don’t have to worry about keeping a supply of fresh jalapeños in my crisper (which tend to spoil before I can use them up). And bonus points for buying local! Turns out these awesome jalapeños are made in Thamesville, Ontario. Maybe you should pickle some up? ;)

[Read More ...] http://ohsheglows.com/2018/03/12/things-im-loving-lately-march-12-2018/

#infrared #health

0 notes

kristinsimmons · 7 years ago

Text

Things I’m Loving Lately: March 12, 2018

As always, these posts are never sponsored, but I’ll occasionally have an affiliate link or two included in the roundup.

1. Hilary’s Broccoli Casserole Bites

2. Instacart Canada

3. Hardbite Drop’N Mad Beets chips

4. HURRAW! Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm

5. Love Grown Original Power O’s

6. Sunshine Farms Organic Pickled Jalapeños (Foodland Ontario)

Comments (0) | function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('//www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436'); return false;}Share on Facebook | Tweet | Pin It | Snapchat | Google+

Things I’m Loving Lately: March 12, 2018 published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

0 notes

kristinsimmons · 7 years ago

Text

Things I’m Loving Lately: March 12, 2018

As always, these posts are never sponsored, but I’ll occasionally have an affiliate link or two included in the roundup.

1. Hilary’s Broccoli Casserole Bites

2. Instacart Canada

3. Hardbite Drop’N Mad Beets chips

4. HURRAW! Black Cherry Tinted Lip Balm

5. Love Grown Original Power O’s

6. Sunshine Farms Organic Pickled Jalapeños (Foodland Ontario)

Things I’m Loving Lately: March 12, 2018 published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

0 notes